Cingulata (Mammalia, Xenarthra) from the type fauna of the “Friasian” South American Land-Mammal age, Alto Río Cisnes (Río Frías Formation, Burdigalian-Langhian Age, Miocene), Chile

Abstract

Cingulates (“armadillos and glyptodonts”), is a group of xenarthran mammals characterized mainly by the presence of an armor of articulated osteoderms which are usually used for systematic recognition, and which are found in most fossiliferous localities of South, Central and southern North America since the Eocene. The aim of this contribution is to describe the cingulates (“armadillos and glyptodonts”) from Roth's collection that have been previously mentioned, which have been remain unpublished for more than 100 years, and are part of the collection that was used for the recognition of the formerly “Etage Friaséen” of the Miocene of South America. The cingulate osteoderms described herein are assigned to 1) Vetelia puncta (MLP 16–171, MLP 16–172, MLP 16–174) given the osteoderms's foramina in the sulcus that delimits the longitudinal central figure, and at the lateral margins of the osteoderm; 2) Proeutatus cf. deleo (MLP 16–171, MLP 16–172, MLP 16–174) given that the osteoderms have no evident keel, and no foramina on the exposed surface; and 3) Eucinepeltus cf. petesatus (MLP 16–171, MLP 16–172, MLP 16–173) given that the osteoderms of the cephalic shield have no figures on the exposed surface. After the revision of the Roth collection and the literature, the association of cingulates from all fossil localities and fossil levels of Río Cisnes Formation at Alto Río Cisnes (Chile) includes the armadillos Peltephilidae (a potential new taxon), Stegotherium caroloameghinoi, Prozaedyus sp., Vetelia puncta, Proeutatus cf. deleo, Proeutatus sp., and the glyptodonts Propalaehoplophorinae gen. et sp. indet., and Eucinepeltus cf. petesatus.